Analysis of black water aggregation in Taihu Lake

Black water aggregation （BWA） in Taihu Lake is a disaster for the lake environment. It is a phenomenon resulting from water environmental deterioration and eutrophication caused by accumulation of pollutants in the lake, according to research on the water quality, pollutants of BWA, and occurrence mechanisms of BWA. Dead algae are the material base of BWA, the polluted sediment is an important factor for the formation of BWA, and hydrological and meteorological conditions such as sun light, air temperature, wind speed, and water flow are the other factors that may lead to the formation of BWA. Thioether substances such as dimethyl trisulfide are the representative pollutants of BWA. Parameters such as chlorophyll-a, DO, pH, and water temperature are sensitive indicators of BWA. Measures such as algae collection, ecological dredging, pollution control, and water diversion from the Yangtze River to the lake, are effective, and strengthening aeration is an emergency measure to control BWA.

Evaluation and improvement of wastewater treatment plant performance using BioWin

In this study,the activated sludge model implemented in the BioWin software was validated against full-scale wastewater treatment plant data. Only two stoichiometric parameters(Y p /acetic and the heterotrophic yield(Y H)) required calibration. The value 0.42 was used for Yp /acetic in this study,while the default value of the BioWin software is 0.49,making it comparable with the default values of the corresponding parameter(yield of phosphorus release to substrate uptake(YPO4)) used in ASM2,ASM2 d,and ASM3 P,respectively. Three scenarios were evaluated to improve the performance of the wastewater treatment plant,the possibility of wasting sludge from either the aeration tank or the secondary clarifier,the construction of a new oxidation ditch,and the construction of an equalization tank. The results suggest that construction of a new oxidation ditch or an equalization tank for the wastewater treatment plant is not necessary. However,sludge should be wasted from the aeration tank during wet weather to reduce the solids loading of the clarifiers and avoid effluent violations. Therefore,it is recommended that the design of wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) should include flexibility to operate the plants in various modes. This is helpful in selection of the appropriate operating mode when necessary,resulting in substantial reductions in operating costs.

Recycled Aggregate Pervious Concrete: Analysis of Influence of Water-Cement Ratio and Fly Ash under Single Action and Optimal Design of Mix Proportion

Pervious concrete is recommended,which is of great benefit to the ecological environment and human living environment.In this paper,the influences of five water-cement ratios and four fly ash contents to replace the cement by mass with a water-cement ratio of 0.30 on the properties of Recycled Aggregate Pervious Concrete(RAPC)were studied.Following this,based on the Grey relational-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)optimization method,the strength,permeability,abrasion loss rate,and material costs of RAPC were adopted as evaluation indices to establish a mix proportion optimization model.The results show that the increase of water-cement ratio and fly ash replacement level of RAPC leads to decreased compres-sive strength while an increase in the permeability and abrasion loss rate.According to test results based on the optimal model 0.30 was identified as the best mix proportion.In addition,ecological-economic analysis of RAPC raw materials was carried out by comparing different natural aggregates.The results of EE(embodied energy)and ECO 2e(embodied CO_(2) emission)pointed out that the combination of recycled aggregate and fly ash leads to sig-nificant ecological and economic benefits.

Nonlinear finite element analysis of effect of seismic waves on dynamic response of Shiziping dam

Many high earth-rockfill dams are constructed in the west of China. The seismic intensity at the dam site is usually very high, thus it is of great importance to ensure the safety of the dam in meizoseismal area. A 3D FEM model is established to analyze the seismic responses of Shiziping earth-rockfill dam. The nonlinear elastic Duncan-Chang constitutive model and the equivalent viscoelastic constitutive model are used to simulate the static and dynamic stress strain relationships of the dam materials, respectively. Four groups of seismic waves are inputted from the top of the bedrock to analyze the dynamic responses of the dam. The numerical results show that the calculated dynamic magnification factors display a good consistency with the specification values. The site spectrum results in larger acceleration response than the specification spectrum. The analysis of relative dynamic displacement indicates that the displacement at the downstream side of the dam is larger than that at the upstream side. The displacement response reduces from the center of river valley to two banks. The displacement responses corresponding to the specification spectrum are a little smaller than those corresponding to the site spectrum. The analysis of shear stress indicates that a large shear stress area appears in the upstream overburden layer, where the shear stress caused by site waves is larger than that caused by specification waves. The analysis of dynamic principal stress indicates that the minimum dynamic stresses in corridor caused by specification and site waves have little difference. The maximum and minimum dynamic stresses are relatively large at two sides. The largest tensile stress occurs at two sides of the floor of grouting corridor, which may result in the crack near the corridor side. The numerical results present good consistency with the observation data of the grouting corridor in Wenchuan earthquake.

Seepage simulation of high concrete-faced rockfill dams based on generalized equivalent continuum model

This research focused on the three-dimensional(3 D) seepage field simulation of a high concrete-faced rockfill dam(CFRD) under complex hydraulic conditions. A generalized equivalent continuum model of fractured rock mass was used for equivalent continuous seepage field analysis based on the improved node virtual flow method. Using a high CFRD as an example, the generalized equivalent continuum range was determined, and a finite element model was established based on the terrain and geological conditions, as well as structural face characteristics of the dam area. The equivalent seepage coefficients of different material zones or positions in the dam foundation were calculated with the Snow model or inverse analysis. Then, the 3 D seepage field in the dam area was calculated under the normal water storage conditions, and the corresponding water head distribution, seepage flow, seepage gradient, and seepage characteristics in the dam area were analyzed. The results show that the generalized equivalent continuum model can effectively simulate overall seepage patterns of the CFRD under complex hydraulic conditions and provide a reference for seepage analysis of similar CFRDs.

Trends of Extreme Flood Events in the Pearl River Basin during 1951-2010

The study investigated the trend of extreme flood events in the Pearl River basin during 1951-2010. Stream flow data at 23 gauging stations were used for the study. The Pearson type III distribution was selected for the flood frequency analysis. Results indicate that extreme flood events increase significantly in the Pearl River Basin since 1980. At the 23 gauging stations, there are 16 (70%) stations show positive (increasing) trends in 1981-2010. Most of the 16 stations are located along the West River and North River. While 7 (30%) stations show negative (decreasing) trends, and are found in the East River and the southeast region of the West River Basin.

Characteristics of phosphorus adsorption by sediment mineral matrices with different particle sizes

The particle size of sediment is one of the main factors that influence the phosphorus physical adsorption on sediment. In order to eliminate the effect of other components of sediment on the phosphorus physical adsorption, the sediment mineral matrices were obtained by removing inorganic matter, metal oxides, and organic matter from natural sediments, which were collected from the Nantong reach of the Yangtze River. The results show that an exponential relationship exists between the median particle size （Ds0） and specific surface area （Sg） of the sediment mineral matrices, and the fine sediment mineral matrix sample has a larger specific surface area and pore volume than the coarse sediment particles. The kinetic equations were used to describe the phosphorus adsorption process of the sediment mineral matrices, including the Elovich equation, quasi-first-order adsorption kinetic equation, and quasi-second-order adsorption kinetic equation. The results show that the quasi-second-order adsorption kinetic equation has the best fitting effect. Using the mass conservation and Langmuir adsorption kinetic equations, a formula was deduced to calculate the equilibrium adsorption capacity of the sediment mineral matrices. The results of this study show that the phosphorus adsorption capacity decreases with the increase of Ds0, indicating that the specific surface area and pore volume are the main factors in determining the phosphorus adsorption capacity of the sediment mineral matrices. This study will help understand the important role of sediment in the transformation of phosphorus in aquatic environments.

Influence of construction interfaces on dynamic characteristics of roller compacted concrete dams

To study the influence of construction interfaces on dynamic characteristics of roller compacted concrete dams(RCCDs),mechanical properties of construction interfaces are firstly analyzed. Then, the viscous-spring artificial boundary(VSAB) is adopted to simulate the radiation damping of their infinite foundations, and based on the Marc software, a simplified seismic motion input method is presented by the equivalent nodal loads. Finally, based on the practical engineering of a RCC gravity dam, effects of radiation damping and construction interfaces on the dynamic characteristics of dams are investigated in detail. Analysis results show that dynamic response of the RCC gravity dam significantly reduces about 25% when the radiation damping of infinite foundation is considered. Hot interfaces and the normal cold interfaces have little influence on the dynamic response of the RCC gravity dam.However, nonlinear fracture along the cold interfaces at the dam heel will occur under the designed earthquake if the cold interfaces are combined poorly. Therefore, to avoid the fractures along the construction interfaces under the potential super earthquakes,combination quality of the RCC layers should be significantly ensured.

Experimental study on influence of boundary on location of maximum velocity in open channel flows

The velocity dip phenomenon may occur in a part of or in the whole flow field of open channel flows due to the secondary flow effect. Based on rectangular flume experiments and the laser Doppler velocimetry, the influence of the distance to the sidewall and the aspect ratio on the velocity dip is investigated. Through application of statistical methods to the experimental results, it is proposed that the flow field may be divided into two regions, the relatively strong sidewall region and the relatively weak sidewall region. In the former region, the distance to the sidewall greatly affects the location of maximum velocity, and, in the latter region, both the distance to the sidewall and the aspect ratio influence the location of the maximum velocity.

Effect of fluid motion on colony formation in Microcystis aeruginosa

Microcystis aeruginosa, generally occurring in large colonies under natural conditions, mainly exists as single cells in laboratory cultures. The mechanisms involved in colony formation in Microcystis aeruginosa and their roles in algal blooms remain unknown. In this study, based on previous research findings that fluid motion may stimulate the colony formation in green algae, cul^are experiments were conducted under axenic conditions in a circular water chamber where the flow rate, temperature, light, and nutrients were controlled. The number of cells of Microcystis aeruginosa, the number of cells per colony, and the colonial characteristics in various growth phases were observed and measured. The results indicated that the colony formation in Microcystis aeruginosa, which was not observed under stagnant conditions, was evident when there was fluid motion, with the number of cells per largest colony reaching 120 and the proportion of the number of cells in colonial form to the total number of cells and the mean number of cells per colony reaching their peak values at a flow rate of 35 crn/s. Based on the analysis of colony formation process, fluid motion stimulates the colony formation in Microcystis aeruginosa in the lag growth phase, while flushes and disaggregates the colonies in the exponential growth phase. The stimulation effect in the lag growth phase may be attributable to the involvement of fluid motion in a series of physiological processes, including the uptake of trace elements and the synthesis and secretion of polysaccharides. In addition, the experimental groups exhibiting typical colonial characteristics in the lag growth phase were found to have higher cell biomass in the later phase.

Application of a hybrid multiscalar indicator in drought identification in Beijing and Guangzhou,China

The Palmer drought severity index(PDSI) is physically based with multivariate concepts, but requires complicated calibration and cannot easily be used for multiscale comparison. Standardized drought indices(SDIs), such as the standardized precipitation index(SPI) and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI), are multiscalar and convenient for spatiotemporal comparison, but they are still challenged by their lack of physical basis. In this study, a hybrid multiscalar indicator, the standardized Palmer drought index(SPDI), was used to examine drought properties of two meteorological stations(the Beijing and Guangzhou stations) in China, which have completely different drought climatologies. The results of our case study show that the SPDI is correlated with the well-established drought indices(SPI, SPEI, and PDSI) and presents generally consistent drought/wetness conditions against multiple indicators and literature records. Relative to the PDSI, the SPDI demonstrates invariable statistical characteristics and better comparable drought/wetness frequencies over time and space. Moreover,characteristics of major drought events(drought class, and onset and end times) indicated by the SPDI are generally comparable to those detected by the PDSI. As a physically-based standardized multiscalar drought indicator, the SPDI can be regarded as an effective development of the Palmer drought indices, providing additional choices and tools for practical drought monitoring and assessment.

Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Sediment Transport of A Tidal River Under Influence of Wading Engineering Groups

By taking the Yong River for example in this paper, based on the multiple measured data during 1957 to 2009, the change process of runoff, tide feature, tidal wave, tidal influx and sediment transport are analyzed. Then a mathematical model is used to reveal the influence mechanism on hydrodynamic characteristics and sediment transport of the wading engineering groups such as a tide gate, a breakwater, reservoirs, bridges and wharves, which were built in different periods. The results showed the hydrodynamic characteristics and sediment transport of the Yong River changed obviously due to the wading engineering groups. The tide gate induced deformation of the tidal wave, obvious reduction of the tidal influx and weakness of the tidal dynamic, decrease of the sediment yield of flood and ebb tide and channel deposition. The breakwater blocked estuarine entrances, resulting in the change of the tidal current and the reduction of the tidal influx in the estuarine area. The large-scale reservoirs gradually made the decrease of the Yong River runoff. The bridge and wharf groups took up cross-section areas, the cumulative affection of which caused the increase of tidal level in the tidal river.

Multi-dimensional database design and implementation of dam safety monitoring system

To improve the effectiveness of dam safety monitoring database systems, the development process of a multi-dimensional conceptual data model was analyzed and a logic design wasachieved in multi-dimensional database mode. The optimal data model was confirmed by identifying data objects, defining relations and reviewing entities. The conversion of relations among entities to external keys and entities and physical attributes to tables and fields was interpreted completely. On this basis, a multi-dimensional database that reflects the management and analysis of a dam safety monitoring system on monitoring data information has been established, for which factual tables and dimensional tables have been designed. Finally, based on service design and user interface design, the dam safety monitoring system has been developed with Delphi as the development tool. This development project shows that the multi-dimensional database can simplify the development process and minimize hidden dangers in the database structure design. It is superior to other dam safety monitoring system development models and can provide a new research direction for system developers.

Research on the Seepage Safety Monitoring Indexes of the High Core Rockfill Dam

The study on developing the reasonable safety monitoring indexes plays a most importantly role in the health monitoring of high core rockfill dams. However, researches on this topic are relatively scarce both at home and abroad. In this paper, the characteristics and failure modes of seepage in high core rockfill dam are analyzed firstly. Then, a safety monitoring index based on seepage quantity, which reflects the overall seepage behavior, is developed, using the real-time monitoring data and its safety monitoring model. Moreover, another safety monitoring index based on seepage gradient, reflecting the local seepage behavior, is proposed, combining the spatial layout of osmo- meters and local failure mechanisms of core wall. Additionally, one more safety monitoring index based on permeability coefficient, which considers the overall and local seepage behaviors, is developed, on the basis of establishing the finite element analysis model and real-time seepage coefficient inversion analysis model of high core rockfill dam. A case study on these indexes of Nuozhadu high core rockfill dam is developed, which improves the reliability of seepage safety evaluation of the dam.

Flow patterns and critical criteria of thermally stratified shear flow in braided rivers

Flow characteristics of thermally stratified shear flow in braided rivers are particularly complicated and poorly understood. In this study, a series of typical flow patterns was examined and their critical criteria were determined. Four flow patterns were identified: mixed, locally unstable, continuously stratified, and two-layer flow. Temperature distributions of the four types of flow patterns were analyzed and compared.The critical Froude numbers for unstable flow, FDcr1, and stable flow, FDcr2, were determined to be 6 and 1, respectively, and comparison of FDcr1 and FDcr2 to the peak Froude numbers, FD1 at the outer bank and FD2 at the inner bank along the anabranch, allowed the flow patterns to be assessed. Then, a discriminant based on initial Jeffreys-Keulegan stability parameters was established to distinguish the flow stages from twolayer flow to completely mixed flow. It is indicated that the three critical Jeffreys-Keulegan parameters increased with the diversion angle of braided rivers. Results also show that, compared to the stratified flow in straight and curved channels, it was more difficult for braided stratified flow to maintain as two-layer flow, and it more easily became mixed flow. Consequently, empirical expressions for stability criteria of the thermally stratified shear flow in braided rivers are presented.

Multi-approach analysis of maximum riverbed scour depth above subway tunnel

When subway tunnels are routed underneath rivers, riverbed scour may expose the structure, with potentially severe consequences. Thus, it is important to identify the maximum scour depth to ensure that the designed buried depth is adequate. There are a range of methods that may be applied to this problem, including the fluvial process analysis method, geological structure analysis method, scour formula method, scour model experiment method, and numerical simulation method. However, the application ranges and forecasting precision of these methods vary considerably. In order to quantitatively analyze the characteristics of the different methods, a subway tunnel passing underneath a river was selected, and the aforementioned five methods were used to forecast the maximum scour depth. The fluvial process analysis method was used to characterize the river regime and evolution trend, which were the baseline for examination of the scour depth of the riverbed. The results obtained from the scour model experiment and the numerical simulation methods are reliable; these two methods are suitable for application to tunnel projects passing underneath rivers. The scour formula method was less accurate than the scour model experiment method; it is suitable for application to lower risk projects such as pipelines. The results of the geological structure analysis had low precision; the method is suitable for use as a secondary method to assist other research methods. To forecast the maximum scour depth of the riverbed above the subway tunnel, a combination of methods is suggested, and the appropriate analysis method should be chosen with respect to the local conditions.

Modeling and Optimization of Stand-Alone Hybrid Power System : a Case Study for a Household in Urumqi,China

In order to alleviate environmental pollution of Urumqi,China,a stand-alone hybrid wind / PV / battery power system was studied for this region. An accurate structure and model of the standalone hybrid wind / PV / battery power system for a household in that region was presented in this study. On the basis of wind speed,solar radiation,ambient temperature,and load data,the optimal design of the hybrid system is determined using a genetic algorithm( GA). As a result,the optimal hybrid system for a household consists of one wind turbine,21. 407 6 m^2 of PV arrays,and 20. 958 kW ·h of battery bank capacity. The system has a loss of power supply probability( LPSP) of 0. 019 9 and the minimum total annualized cost is $ 35 333.

Multi-Temporal Analysis of Land Subsidence in Toluca Valley (Mexico) through a Combination of Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) and Historical Piezometric Data

The Toluca Valley Aquifer (TVA) is considered one of the most overexploited aquifers in Mexico because of the high rate of groundwater extraction for supplying urban and industrial water to Mexico City and Toluca City, which causes land subsidence in urban and suburban areas. In this paper, we propose a multi-temporal analysis that uses persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) method to evaluate the subsidence processes in Toluca Valley. The PSI results revealed differential movements of the ground of as much as 83 mm/year. A spatial variation of PSI results was identified with respect to previous studies using the conventional Din SAR methodology. The spatial distribution and density suggested the possibility of an expanding trend of subsidence process at north, northeast and east of the TVA, which corresponds to the region with the highest density of pumping wells for industrial and agricultural use.

Implementing into GIS a Tool to Automate the Calculation of Physiographic Parameters of River Basins

The physiographic characterization of a basin is a fundamental element as it defines the hydrological behavior of that basin. The present work deals with the development and implementation of a tool that allows calculating in an automated manner the physiographic parameters of a basin, as well as those of the surface runoff and main river, besides other graphic elements: hypsometric curve, equivalent rectangle and profile of the main river. Such a tool was developed under Visual Basic 6 programming language and the spatial geographic component ArcObjects by ESRI;they enabled the development of a library as a final product (.dll), which can be loaded and implemented in ArcMap software. In the methodology a Conceptual Model was established, from which it was possible to identify the requirements and methods to obtain the parameters, as well as the conception and implementation of the Logical Model that includes the specific functions and also the input structures, processes and data output. Finally, the tool was tested with actual data from El Caracol river basin, located in central-southern Mexico, which showed the easiness and usefulness of it, besides the effectiveness of the results, not leaving aside the time and resources saved by the user when characterizing a basin, compared with other conventional processes.